The Portland Trail Blazers secured the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed on Tuesday night, rallying for a 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns in a play-in game at Moda Center.
Deni Avdija led the comeback with 41 points and 12 assists, erasing an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit and sending Portland into a first-round matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.
“They’re a great team, very talented,” Avdija told Amazon Prime after the win. “They’re young too, so they don’t have a lot of playoff experience as well. It’s gonna be a fight. We’re gonna bring everything we got.”
Portland’s decisive push came in the final 32 seconds. After Jordan Goodwin put Phoenix ahead 110-109, Avdija drove to the rim, absorbed contact, scored and converted the ensuing free throw to give the Blazers a 112-110 edge with 16.1 seconds left. The Suns had two chances to answer, but Jalen Green missed a three-pointer and Goodwin lost possession when Matisse Thybulle stripped the ball, sealing the result.
The Blazers advance to face San Antonio in Round One. Phoenix, now one loss from elimination, will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game for the West’s final postseason berth, with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder awaiting that winner.
Source: Hoops Wire
